


Never Change

by furihatachlookie



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: -Ish, AU, Domestic, Gen, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-09
Updated: 2015-10-27
Packaged: 2018-02-24 02:08:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2564354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/furihatachlookie/pseuds/furihatachlookie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Some things never change.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Kuroko wasn't a hundred percent sure how he ended up in his kitchen helping a very drunk Takao nurse a Midorima with a concussion. In all honesty, things up to this point were a bit hazy. He hadn’t even had anything to drink yet either. 

Not that he would've anyway, considering how he could here Kagami begin to argue in English with an equally drunk Aomine in the next room over. Perhaps he shouldn't have left him in Aomine's trusting hands after all. 

Guess it'll be his job to clean up once everyone goes home for the night.

 _That is, if they even leave._ It wouldn’t be a far stretch to say that most of them were asleep.

Kuroko let out a sigh, dragging his attention back to the two other men in the room. Takao was trying to poke and prod at the nasty bruise on Midorima’s head, asking for what seemed like the millionth time if he needed to go the hospital, muffled by the hand on his face in an attempt to keep him from touching and doing any more damage. However, he _was_ the one who decided to bring his lucky item for the day. Letting it fall into Takao's hands was his second mistake. Who knew that Pillow Pets really could injure someone if you swung hard enough?

Walking forward to extract a clingy Takao from his former teammate, Kuroko seated him in the bar stool across from Midorima, before returning to the other side to tend to the taller male—Kuroko would be lying if he said he didn’t think for a moment that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to scold Takao like one of his students. He took a moment to grab one of the ice packs from the fridge before offering it to Midorima.

The irritated male refused, rubbing his temples and muttering something about it being just a mild concussion; chances were he wouldn’t need to worry about passing out since it didn't seem to be bothering him too much. He’d be fine if they left soon, so he could lie down. But considering how fast asleep Takao had fallen asleep on the granite counter—a 180 turn from his worried and hyper self a minute ago—that wasn’t gonna be happening anytime soon. Well, it seems he wasn't the only one.

“Are you sure they’re both okay, Kuroko-kun?” 

Said person turned his head to the door, spotting his high school coach in the doorway. ”I’m sure they’ll be fine once they both get some rest.” The two were finishing their final year of medical school, probably thinking taking a day (now probably two) off from their studies to have a reunion here could do them some good. 

Or so they previously thought. Midorima really wasn't a party person.

“I guess things got kinda crazy before they finally died down, huh?” Riko said, tucking her hands into the pockets of her jacket. A glance behind her proved Kuroko’s earlier assumption right; most of Kuroko’s past seniors were asleep on the couch. A select few, like Hyuuga and Izuki were still awake, watching the two hotheaded males before them start yelling over who lost the dare and who would have to sing what, amused smiles on their faces.

A part of Kuroko didn't want to know what the dare was.

Anyways, things were a lot quieter now compared to an hour ago. People were actually using the karaoke an hour ago instead of constantly flipping through the same five songs, trying to decide what song to do, like Aomine and Kagami were doing at the moment.

Now that he thought about it, Kuroko was surprised that people even showed up. Not that their friends had grown out of touch or anything.

There were just a few people who couldn’t make it today. Surprisingly, Kise couldn’t make it. Kuroko found out from a call from the blond a few days ago, notifying him that he’d be out of town, having taken a number of shifts these past few weeks for his piloting career. He joked over the phone that he’d get everybody lots of presents by the time Christmas came rolling around with all the money he’ll be earning, coupled with his still-steady modeling job. That was still months away, and Kise is still just as popular as he was back in high school.

Kuroko remembered flatly telling him to “Please learn to stop being so annoying” by the time he gets back before abruptly hanging up. He was joking, of course, but Kise didn’t need to know that. 

Kise wasn't the only one stuck in Kyoto because of a job. Unsurprisingly, Akashi and Muraskibara were all the way in Kyoto. Not only is it a 400-something mile train ride that makes getting to Tokyo difficult, but neither could find time in their schedule to make it. However, both promised to make it to the party in December. Momoi was out of the city as well.

Kawahara, Fukuda and Kiyoshi were going to arrive late. Kagami and Kuroko's former classmates were out working late at one of the gyms that belonged to Riko’s father with Kiyoshi, who offered to stay behind a little longer before all three of them caught the last train here. Hopefully Kiyoshi remembered Kagami’s address. Kuroko almost couldn’t remember the last time he and his teammates last hung out here. It’s probably been years. 

“You’re right,” Kuroko agreed, taking a look at the time. It was approaching 12, Koganei, Tsuchida, Furihata, and Mitobe were asleep, strewn over the expanse of the two couches, and by now the boys had settled on a decision. Kagami was exclaiming through the microphone that he was “dedicating the song he was about to sing to his amazingly-embarrassing boyfriend, Kuroko”, earning cheers from the people still awake. 

Riko laughed into her hand when she heard the first notes to “How Do I Live”, and Kuroko covered his face with his hand. “Of all the American songs…” he heard her giggle at him. 

Kagami wasn’t even able to get through to the third verse before he screamed, the sound of the mic being dropped emitting from the speakers. An excited bark followed a second later. Aomine’s boisterous laughter resonated throughout the apartment.

That must be Kiyoshi and the others. It must've slipped his mind that he also asked if they could pick Nigou up from the kennel. 

The short, blue-haired male heard rather than saw Midorima behind him utter an “oh no” before a muffled thud followed. That, coupled with Kagami’s scream, woke up Takao, who immediately tried to rush to Midorima’s side. Tried. But moving so abruptly perhaps wasn’t the best idea. He toppled out of his chair and onto the floor, his legs slow in responding. By the time Kuroko had turned around, rather than check on his boyfriend in his state of unconsciousness, Takao lay on the ground groaning about his throbbing head. 

So much for ‘it’s just a mild concussion.’ 

“Kuroko, we’re here!” Kiyoshi’s voice reached to the kitchen, announcing their arrival. Not that it was needed anyways, thanks to the loud wake-up call from Kagami. The two other seniors were already gathered at the doorway. Those on the couch were rubbing their eyes, blinking away the drowsiness. Koganei was the first one to jump up and greet the newcomers. 

“That certainly seems familiar.” Riko sighed. “So much for the peace and quiet. That was the quietest it’s been all night.” Hearing Kiyoshi ask Hyuuga and Izuki if she was here, she took her leave, offering a small wave to Kuroko and casting one more look at the couple on the floor before heading out of the kitchen and into the living room.

Leaving the two men to themselves, Kuroko meandered out of the otherwise quiet kitchen. Even from where he stood in the entryway, he could hear the smile in Riko’s voice when she walked up to greet her friend, who didn’t hesitate to pull all three into his arms, ignoring the surprised yelps he received. 

Furihata, Tsuchida, and Mitobe were finally able to extract themselves from the couch and were up greeting Kawahara and Fukuda. Somewhere in the chaos, he could see Kagami scrambling to get away from Aomine who was holding Nigou. Koganei, from what Kuroko could make out, was saying something like,"I thought you've already bonded with Nigou? Remember back at Seirin?" Kagami's response, "But that was before I knew that he'd grow _huge_!" made Kuroko smile.

It was already 10 minutes to midnight, but within minutes, it felt like the reunion was in full swing again. Once everybody was settled down from the arrival of new guests, glasses were filled again, someone picked up the karaoke mic from where it had been carelessly thrown -someone that wasn't Kagami, thankfully. The quiet atmosphere was gone, replaced by chatter and laughter.

"Hey Kuroko!" Kagami called. He was sitting with arms propped up on the backrest of one of the chairs, calm now that Nigou was safely in Riko's arms, far away from him. Behind him stood Aomine, mic in one hand and a glass in the other. "Just watch me smoke Aomine at singing right now." He laughed, giving him one of those contagious smiles, so contagious that Kuroko could feel the edges of his own lips turn up. He left his spot in the doorway, walking over and taking a seat beside the redhead, plucking the small booklet of songs from his boyfriend's outstretched hand.

Aomine snorted. "As if, idiot. I'm gonna wipe the floor with your face!" 

"I have to agree. Aomine-kun's voice could be on par with your voice, Kagami-kun." Kuroko admitted.

Kagami started. "Even you're agreeing with him!?"

Kuroko hid his smile in the booklet, watching another argument break out between the two males.

Some things never change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's okay, there'll be more Kagami and Kuroko next chapter. Rest assured, the GoM will appear more too, hopefully...


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's never good to worry too much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter might have a prequel... If I ever get to doing it...

Another "notice of payment" came in the mail today.

This time it was for the hospital bill, the paper looking like it had been folded, creased, and flattened by hands numerous times, a stark contrast to the crisp look and texture it once had. Beside it lay 3 other receipts of the same appearance, everything else unimportant at the moment strewn aside onto the other side of the kitchen table to make room for another pile of papers covered in scribbles and handfuls of glitter. Kuroko softly blew on the bills in front of him, shooing away any stray pieces of glitter with his hand before taking a look at the kitchen clock. 1:05 AM.

A sigh slipped past his lips. Kuroko had his alarm clock in their bedroom set for 7, meaning whether or not he'd get done with the issue at hand in the next half hour, he'd be getting less than 6 hours asleep again. That would mean it'd be the fourth night he'd be spending sleeping on the couch instead of in his warm and comfy bed beside his boyfriend. Kuroko rested his chin in the palm of his hand. Or would it be the fifth? He'd already lost track.

Even if he were to settle on a decision, he still had to find time tonight to look over his kids' work. This week they were learning about simple food words. One of the kids, Eiji, was really excited because prior to class, his older brother had taught him lots of new words. Except he kept mispronouncing them, saying "peckle" in place of "pickle", or "kitten" instead of "chicken". He'll have to find a way to explain to the young kindergartener that "peckle" wasn't a type of food, and that you don't eat "kittens", in the gentlest way possible.

His co-workers were right. The first few months of teaching really dragged by.

Kuroko pinched the bridge of his nose, rubbing the tender spot his glasses had been sitting upon for the past two hours. He never thought he'd need glasses, but with all this reading late at night with just the single overhead light above the kitchen as his only source of light so he wouldn't disturb Kagami's sleep, and having the pleasure of reading the writing of five and six-year-olds every day, it was starting to put a strain on his eyes.

Eyeing the bill, Kuroko went back to weighing his options. He'd have to pay the hospital for the actual bill that'll be coming around by the end of the week if they didn't want to get fined; but that'd mean having to use the money they have saved up. Asking for help wasn't an option, no matter how generous his friend's offers were. And neither was their parents. The only other alternative would be to use what's left of the money in Kuroko's paycheck for the month and the benefits Kagami's accumulated. Kuroko had made it a priority a few weeks back to help out the other teachers if they were out sick and if he had the time, so he could earn a little extra like Kagami was doing down at the local fire station. Regardless, the hospital bill would make a noticeable dent in their wallets, but they'd survive.

There was still the electricity, water, and gas bills to worry about too. The electricity bill wasn't too big to worry about. Neither had the time or purpose to roam the Internet for hours, so mainly it was just the kitchen appliances, TV, and electricity in the house to pay for, which isn't too much. The water bill could've been better, but counting the number of times that Kagami has tried and failed to bath Nigou without making their whole bathroom look like a swimming pool, and the times he and Kagami have had various.. rendezvous in the bathtub, it's understandable.

Then there's the gas bill. It's usually considerably high, due to Kagami's cooking, but even that has pretty much stopped, leaving the gas bill lower than usual. The only things to really regulate was the use of the heater and hot water.

He was gonna get paid in a week, and Kagami's paycheck was coming the week after. Kuroko scribbled down some notes as a reminder. Him being a kindergarten teacher came with expenses for the kids' supplies too. He still had school supplies to worry about, and food for the two of them, dog food and grooming for Nigou since his fur's been getting out of control with it being so long, and getting Kagami into rehabilitation, which will probably take another 3 or 4 weeks, let's see...

"Kuroko, what're you doing still awake?"

Kuroko jumped, startled at the sound of the voice behind him. He was so caught up in his thoughts, he didn't hear Kagami walk in.

Turning around in his seat, he saw the redhead out of bed. The redhead leaned on the crutch in his hand for support, keeping his other hand on the couch to support his casted leg.

"Kagami-kun, you shouldn't be moving around so much. You should be laying down and resting in bed." Kuroko said, rising to his feet, ready to help the taller male. Kagami held up his hand to stop him.

"You should too, idiot. Don't you have kids to teach tomorrow?" that made him falter in his response. Kagami continued. "Knowing them, they'll be able to tell that you're tired. Just like yesterday. And the day before that. And the day after..."

"I wasn't tired—"

"We both know that's bullshit." Kuroko flinched at his words, turning back around to look at the bills on the table, hoping to drop the subject. He heard his boyfriend sigh before the sound of the crutch clanking against the ground and uneven steps brought him closer. Kagami rested his crutch against the table, leaning down to look at Kuroko's face, who kept his eyes glued to the papers.

A tanned hand reached across the table, taking the cursed papers, folding them over once, hiding the words on it. Out of sight, out of mind, perhaps.

A larger, warmer hand placed itself atop his. "Kuroko, look at me." Another on his cheek brought his eyes up to meet Kagami's. Kuroko could tell Kagami wasn't really sleeping either, judging from the familiar sight of eyes tinged pink from lack of sleep; if the dark circles under his eyes wasn't enough indication. His hair was messy and tousled, like he'd been tossing and turning all night, unable to get a wink of sleep.

Kuroko looked down. That reminded Kuroko of years ago. Except there was a different reason as to why he couldn't sleep. He felt a pang of guilt. "I've been keeping you up all night by not sleeping."

Kagami frowned at his lack of response. "You—that's not all! Even your co-workers are worried about you. You come home looking dead on your feet—and don't tell me no, because I can tell, Kuroko—and I never see you go to sleep. When I wake up, you're already awake. You've been like this ever since the a—"

Kagami paused, hesitating. It was the touchy subject that brought them into this predicament in the first place, something Kuroko hasn't spoken about since Kagami was released from the hospital.

It took him a few seconds to say it. "You've been acting like this ever since the accident."

There it was. Kuroko wanted to disagree, to tell him that that accident that occurred on their anniversary, of all days, wasn't the only problem on his mind. But the worried look in Kagami's eyes made him back down, and all he did was nod, eyes lowering. Kagami sighed.

"I'm not even sleeping in our bed anymore," Kagami took Kuroko's hand, holding it gently in his own, "because you're not there beside me."

"I don't want to sleep in an empty bed." Kuroko's grip tightened, and Kagami leaned so he could press a soft kiss to the back of his hand, thumb softly stroking the spot. When he pulled away, Kagami spoke again.

"I know that the accident isn't all you're worried about, Kuroko. You can tell me."

"I... I don't want to worry you. You're still recovering, and you're probably—"

"Just because I can't do my job at the fire station doesn't mean I can't do my job here at home." Kagami countered. "Trying to make me not worry _makes_ me worry. What is it you're worried about?"

He said it in that impossibly soft voice again. Kuroko gave in. "There's.. so much to worry about. I'm worried that something's going to bounce and we might not be able to pay next month's rent. Or that you won't be healed by December."

All of this just in time for Christmas to come rolling around. God, there was still the presents, the _party_...

Kuroko continued, clutching Kagami's sleeve, unaware that he was beginning to ramble and stutter. "I'm worried, and I know that our friends and family were worrired; they probably still are, I don't want them to worry, but by doing that it's making _me_ worry. I-I know we have enough money, but there's still food to worry about becuase I don't want to have to make you get up and cook, and I'm trying to find time to take care of Nigou so I don't have to ask you, and there's still your recovery and rehab once you're healed, and- and-" His eyes were beginning to water, hands clenching into fists as his mind began racing with the duties that seemed to be piling up out of nowhere.

But the one that scared Kuroko the most was...

"You made so _worried_..." Kuroko bit back a sob, saying the words he never had the courage or selfishness to say weeks ago.

His ramble ended abruptly when he was pulled into Kagami's chest. He froze, feeling a warm hand run fingers through his hair and an arm wrap itself tightly around his waist.

Being held in this embrace, the same warm, safe embrace he'd be dragged into on the way to bed after a long day at work, the same embrace he remembered being so vividly scared of losing along with the man holding him in it so firm and lovingly; he let his shoulders drop. All the looming thoughts he had previous were fading into the background.

Bringing his arms to wrap around his boyfriend, Kuroko buried his face into the cotton fabric of his shirt, breathing shakily before his words caught in his throat.

Kagami wasn't sure at first if it would work, but it did. He kissed the top of Kuroko's head, holding the shorter male as he cried into his chest. Kuroko was never a loud crier, but the shaking of his shoulders were enough to know that he was.

Once he had calmed down a little, the tears reduced to occassional hiccups and shakes, he said something that came out muffled but was heard loud and clear by the only other man in the room.

"I was so worried." Kuroko hiccuped. "When you didn't show up, and seeing you in that hospital bed the next day... it scared me..."

Kagami knew that he made Kuroko worry sick when he didn't come home that night. Kuroko has been trying to hide his distress and worry for the past week, but he never voiced it. Kagami didn't know it was this bad. Kuroko admitting to him that it scared him (the same idiot that would stand up to and for anybody). Kagami shut his eyes tightly, burying his face in Kuroko's neck, the lump in his throat making it hard to keep his voice even.

"I know." Kagami cracked. "I know. I'm sorry I made you worry."

Next time, let the smarter and more experienced people do the work when evacuating the building." Kuroko declared, lifting his face up, voice thick from crying.

That made Kagami laugh a tad bitterly. "Jerk. You know I can't promise that. It's my job. This comes with the job." He gestured to his casted leg.

Kuroko sniffed one last time, pulling back but still staying in the expanse of Kagami's arms as he wiped his eyes on his sleeve.

Kagami brought a hand up to brush Kuroko's neck, feeling a swell of emotion rise up in his chest, leaving him breathless. He pulled Kuroko's head forward with a hand on the back of his neck, pressing their foreheads together. "I love you. Remember that. I'm not gonna be leaving you that easily." Kuroko could hear the smile (or was it a smirk?), in the redhead's voice.

"I love you too." Kuroko replied, a warm smile making its way to his face, soft but mesmerizing.

Kagami breathed, the hot air tickling Kuroko's lips. The older man broke eye contact with deep blue behind rimmed glasses, flickering down to the tongue peeking out between thin lips before flickering back up. Smiling gently, he slipped the glasses off and out of the way, setting them on the table. A puff of air resembling a small laugh escaped Kuroko's lips, before he leaned forward, eyes falling shut as his lips met Kagami's.

The kiss wasn't gentle, nor was it bruising. Kagami left a firm hand resting on the small of Kuroko's back, bringing him closer, mindful of the cast on his foot. He couldn't help the groan that slipped out when Kuroko's hands mirrored his, slipping into his hair and tugging him down so he wouldn't have to be standing tiptoe, tilting his head for better access. After almost a week with little to no contact, Kagami was having a bit of withdrawal. He chuckled when a moan tumbled it's way out of Kuroko's mouth as he kissed down the arch of his neck, nipping and biting.

Minutes passed when it felt like hours. Soon enough, Kagami finally brought his lips back up to Kuroko's, planting a chaste kiss, once, twice, three times, before pulling away. His face felt warm, and his legs were very much feeling like jelly. Kagami laughed when the blue-haired male tried to pull him close again, almost bringing the two tumbling to the ground, catching their fall with the table and, unfortunately, Kagami's injured leg.

Kuroko mumbled an apology. Kagami brushed it off, extracted himself from hiss hold on him with a wince, reaching for his crutch and steadying himself before taking Kuroko's hand in his own. "Come on, let's head to bed," he said, determined in heading to the bedroom for once, with Kuroko in tow.

Kuroko complied, fatigue starting to catch up to him too much to complain, but not before taking one last look back at the kitchen. Scrunching his nose at the idea of getting back to that tomorrow, he felt a reassuring squeeze on his hand, bringing him back to the now. Kagami smiled back at him, and Kuroko thought back to the encouraging words and sweet gestures. That's a small problem to worry about tomorrow. Besides, he had Kagami by his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These chapters are most likely gonna be jumbled and unrelated at times, so I'll try to give some indication of the order of things.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's winter... weather.

**Hands**

Winter was gorgeous in Tokyo.

TIlting his head back, Kagami exhaled, absently watching his breath turn to fog in the wintry air, warm and heedless against the fluttering snow. Fall had passed by in a breeze, literally. Kagami couldn't help but admire all the snowfall lying untouched on this early Saturday morning. It was around the time where the snow was at its tamest, falling languidly and littering the streets and cars in a thin blanket. 

It would probably be a few weeks, maybe a month before the first snowstorm. There was still time until then.

Back in the US, it was rare for there to even be rain around this time of year. For warmer states like California, as one example. He knew that Northern states and those in the West got snow, as did the local mountains, but it wasn't like he could just up and walk there.

Either way, Kagami was as much of a snowboarding guy as he was surfboarding. He'd never tire of the sight of snow. Sometimes it was better to have cold weather then hot. Except...

Kuroko's phone rang, breaking the silence.

"Hello? Kise-kun?"

"No, the bus hasn't arrived yet... I see. But aren't you with Aomine-kun?"

"... You got on the wrong bus, didn't you."

"I should be mad at you, but... Yes, I understand. That's why you don't listen to your idiot of a boyfriend. It's a good thing Kagami isn't that bad... anymore."

Kuroko looked at him with a side-glance, smiling at his annoyance. He returned to his call. "I was kidding. For the most part... Yes, I know, you know how bad Aomine-kun is with everyt- Don't yell so loud, Aomine-kun. I'm just stating the facts."

It was too damn cold.

While the snow was at its calmest like he had said, he also meant that it was one of the first snowfalls of the year, which meant while there wasn't a lot of snow, the cold was as unforgiving as ever. It almost felt like it was snowstorm weather, even though there wasn't a dark cloud in the sky.

Kagami sighed, stuffing his hands deeper into his pockets. Damn, they were cold. 

He liked it when it snowed. He really did; walking in the snow, throwing snowballs, hell, he even liked playing with Nigou in the snow if it came down to it. But they've been waiting at this sorry excuse for a bus stop for over an hour, doing nothing but standing here. Not to mention Kuroko had forgotten their hats and he'd forgotten their gloves back at the apartment.

You'd think someone would make it one of those bus stops with something overhead to block the forces of nature, like rain and snow, and maybe some benches too, but nooo, all it had was a rusted metal pole nearby with a sign indicating the name of the buses that come by here and not much else. He should've known that it was a bad idea to agree to using this bus stop as a place to meet up with Aomine and Kise. But seeing as it was Kuroko that had suggested it, all excited to go out, he couldn't say no.

But seriously, he and Kuroko could've been sitting in a café with an actual heater, drinking coffee and enjoying one of their rare mornings off relaxing by themselves by now if Kise and Aomine hadn't invited themselves and gotten themselves lost. For god's sake, the café was only 10 minutes away from Kise's place. They could've _walked_ there.

He slipped his hands out, cupping them in front of his face and blowing steamy air into them, rubbing them together for warmth. Not like his pockets were doing him any justice in keeping them warm anyway. His fingers were a bit red at the tips and he was starting to have a hard time bending them. It was like that feeling you get when you write for too long and finally let go of your pencil and your fingers are stiff, or how your hands feel after sticking them in ice for too long. That was normal for him, but still, it was uncomfortable.

Right now, Kagami couldn't really tell the difference. Perhaps it was both.

"Are your hands cold, Kagami-kun?"

He glanced at Kuroko from over his hands, who had just hung up his phone. Kagami was pretty sure he could still hear Kise's voice when he did. Kuroko's face was flushed a deep pink, from the cold, as were his ears. From him came the occasional sniffle. Looking at his companion bundled up in two jackets and a thick scarf wound around his neck, Kagami could still see the minute shivers.

"Yeah, but they'll warm up soon." It amused Kagami, hearing his voice echo within his cupped hands.

He watched as his hands were pulled from his face, and into Kuroko's surprisingly warm grasp. He blew air into them, holding them in his own hands. "It's said that blowing into your hands increases the chances of them getting frostbitten." Kuroko brought his arms down to his waist, burying Kagami's larger hands in the contours of his jacket, out of the nipping cold.

He was surprised at how warm it was in there, all of it being pure body heat and all. Kagami pulled Kuroko closer, circling his arms around his waist tighter, sighing at the welcoming heat emanating from within the windbreaker. It reminded him of one of those shock and heat blankets they had stocked at the fire station that he and his team would sometimes use on themselves if they were out on a job up where it was colder. 

Kagami draped himself comfortably over the smaller form, leaving little to no space for the heat to escape. He distantly felt hands wrap themselves around his midsection and Kuroko bury his face in the crook of his neck, instantly melting. He laughed at the shivers that ran down his spine when Kuroko's cold nose grazed his skin.

"Who made up that idea?" He asked.

"I did." Kuroko didn't sound up for an argument.

Kagami poked fun at him. "Or it could just be that I should be wearing mittens. Plus, I thought the best way to prevent frostbite would be to limit time staying outdoors in cold weather, wear woolen hats, and make sure to bundle up in layers of loose but warm clothing?" 

"Kagami-kun."

Kagami continued. "Most times, people are advised to stay inside or in their homes when it's cold enough for frostbite to occur. Also, keeping your body in constant motion to keep blood flowing and hydrating yourself, but in my opinion, the best alternative is-"

Kuroko butted Kagami's chin with his head, cutting him off. "Please don't recite your textbook knowledge to me, Kagami-kun. That's unfair."

He laughed, resting his chin atop his head. "You didn't let me finish." He tickled Kuroko's sides with his steadily warming hands, earning a squeak from the other boy, but not enough to make him move away. "Sharing body is good too."

Kuroko was silent for a few moments. "... That's also unfair. I was going to share my scarf with you too, but I've changed my mind." His arms tightened around Kagami's waist, muffling his voice in Kagami's jacket. He sounded like one of his students.

"How is that unfair!? I was agreeing with you!" Taken aback, he looked down at the boy in his arms. When he didn't get an answer, he just settled back down with a sigh, letting the silence fall again.

Okay, maybe he didn't feel _so_ annoyed at the day anymore. He was still mad at the two idiots he deemed 'friends' for being so late, and was still cursing at mother nature that she had to make today, of all days, the first snowfall. He still didn't like the _cold_ cold aspect of winter, and their friend's arrival seemed to have made it drag on, but... he supposes he could live with it for a little while longer.

Kuroko's warm breath came steady and in pace with his heartbeat. Now that it was quiet again, and he was warm and toasty for the most part, he was already dreading having to pull away later.

He was already not looking forward to the silence being broken by Kise's arrival. But he pushed the thought aside, whisking away the offending notion and settling on just resting his head back down on Kuroko's. His hands were starting to warm up. Kagami kept them around Kuroko though.

Maybe next time he should forget his gloves.

**~~Routine~~ Kotatsu**

Kuroko still hadn't come to the table. Kagami glanced at the living room. It was quiet. Swallowed his last bite of food, Kagami picked up his dishes and put them into the sink to be washed later before headed into the living room. He stopped in his tracks when he reached the kotatsu sitting in the middle of the room.

"Kuroko." He called, looking down at the cursed piece of furniture.

A voice came from within. "Yes, Kagami-kun?"

"Would you please get out of there?"

"No."

Kagami knelt down, lifting up one tail of the futon, peering in to see his boyfriend, still clad in pajamas and hair looking like it went through a whirlwind. "I should have never gotten this stupid thing."

Kuroko looked over his shoulder from reading his book. "Getting this was a great idea."

Kagami ran a hand over his face. "You've been under there for almost an hour. How are you not dying in there?"

"I absorb the heat. It's never ending."

"Don't be using that bizarre excuse again!"

Kuroko turned his head back to his book. "Nigou seems to like it too."

Kagami dropped the sheet back down before he could see the dog. "Your puppy eyes aren't gonna work on me this time." He got back to his feet with a grunt, heading to the kitchen. "I made breakfast, so come and eat soon. It's almost time for me to go. You'll be late too if you stay in there." He added, looking at the clock. 9:00 AM. Around an hour before it was time for him to leave. 

He heard a muffled reply come from within the confines of the kotatsu. Kagami shook his head, popping one more rice ball into his mouth as he passed by the dinner table and into the bathroom.

The sheets shifted, and Kuroko peeked out from under to watch Kagami walk out of the room.

20 minutes later, Kagami came out fresh from a shower and dressed for work. Grabbing his phone from its charger and his fireman jacket he'd carelessly tossed on the couch after coming home late Friday night, he dragged himself back to the kotatsu, planning to drag Kuroko out by his feet if he had to. To his surprise, when he peered under, there was no Kuroko. He only found Nigou dozing.

After calling Nigou out, who'd bolted up, startled at the call of his name and almost hitting the heat source on the way out, he looked around the room. Kagami's eyes were drawn to the small blue sticky note stuck on a plain lunch box on top of the table. Walking over, he peeled off the paper, reading, _'Here's your lunch. Of course I didn't make it. If you have time, do you wanna come by again? I was going to ask you earlier, but you were in the shower. The kids miss you.'_

He must've left already then. It always surprised Kagami how fast Kuroko could get dressed and ready for work before him, no matter how late it got. Well, at least he finally got out from under that thing.

Feeling a nudge on his knee, Kagami looked down to see Nigou barking up at him, turning around a few times before barking again. He smiled, leaning down to pet the dog. "Alright, alright. I'll get your food."

Kagami slipped the small piece of paper into his jacket pocket, joining his own little collection of colorful notes from Kuroko for safekeeping. Opening one of the cabinets, he hefted the bag of dog food under his arm, trailing a hyper Nigou to his food bowl.

Guess he'll have to stop by the local kindergarten before work again, whether he's late to work or not.

**Mountains**

"Are you sure snowboarding is as easy as you say it is?" Kuroko asked, looking up at the towering mountain Kagami was planning on taking him down today. The closest thing he's ever come to going down a mountain is by car on a designated road. Perhaps just jumping right into it wasn't a good idea for a first timer like him...

But Kagami had even gone through the trouble of getting him his own snowboard. And boots. And outfit. He couldn't be a wimp and back out now.

"It's not too bad once you get the hang of it." Kagami rose after finishing double-knotting the laces of his snowboarding boots. "I was thinking of starting off doing something easier for you instead jumping straight into the actual thing. That's how one of my friends started teaching me, though." Kuroko sweatdropped. He would've thought his father might've taught him, not a friend who probably just plopped Kagami on top of the mountain and said,'See you when you get down there!'.

"I mean, he sort of left me up there on top of the mountain to find my own way down." Kagami slipped his goggles so it rested comfortably on his head. Kuroko absently slipped his on as well, having spoken, or more like thought, too soon. "I crashed into a few trees, barely missed crashing into one of the ski lifts, and almost got rammed into by another snowboarder. But I think that last one was probably my friend's fault thinking it'd be cool if I wore all white that day. Go figure, huh." He tucked his hair under the strap nicely so no hair was sticking out, checking Kuroko's to make sure it looked good.

Hopefully this supposedly relaxing vacation wasn't going to end him up in the hospital.

"Who was this friend that taught you?" Kuroko asked, a tad bewildered at how breezily Kagami talked about it.

"Tatsuya." He nodded in understanding, no longer as surprised. _That makes sense now. But the wearing white part?_

"I learned eventually, but that was after many tries. We were thinking of asking for help from Alex, but she never liked dressing heavily for the occasion, so we taught ourselves. It wasn't all that bad now that I think about." Kagami admitted. 

"So I was thinking that might be too much for you. How about we start on the bunny slope to get your feet wet?" He followed Kagami's finger to a much smaller slope in the distance. It was a section of the mountain that was cut off to keep the beginners out of range of the more experienced people, most likely to prevent accidents. It certainly looked much less intimidating than the giant beside it.

"That sounds like a much better idea." Kuroko agreed.

\-----

Maybe it wasn't such a good idea.

Getting off the conveyor belt was already a disaster.

The training slope, or 'bunny' slope, didn't have a ski lift, so he shouldn't have had to worry so much about faceplanting. But trying to follow Kagami's lead pushing himself off the belt didn't go so smoothly.

It was hard enough to maneuver in such thick clothing, but with one leg bound to the skateboard, and the other behind him to move him forward, it took Kuroko by surprise when his free boot glided along the board instead of snow. He lost the little momentum and balance he had, tipping forward and getting a face full of snow when the nose of his board got stuck in a chunk of snow.

It took him a good 5 minutes before he was finally able to get up, with the help of Kagami, of course.

On his next try, Kuroko was going down the hill, but, in forgetting how to brake, crashed into Kagami waiting for him at the bottom.

The next time he got on, a kid trying to get off the belt didn't notice that he was taking too long. Kuroko crashed into the boy, unable to move out of the way, falling off the side. The boy didn't notice him.

The time after that, Kagami tried taking another approach, opting to hold Kuroko's hands so he wouldn't fall. They were able make it off and get to the top of the slope safely. The top was where people seemed to slow down the most, which meant lots of snow was packed together in lumps, prone to knocking people over.

Kagami, happy that they finally made some progress, kept their hands joined as he guided them both down, facing his back to the bottom of slope. At least Kagami was experienced enough to be able to move backwards.

Kuroko was starting to get a hang of braking after the previous incident, and it helped with Kagami being in front to tug him along. He was so focused on keeping his board tilted at an angle that he didn't notice there was soon no more snow to break easily on.

Hard packed snow gave in to smoother, and Kuroko slipped backward.

"Ah, Kagami-kun wat—" Too late. Kuroko pulled his hand by reflex, bringing Kagami down with him. This time both of them got a face full of snow.

\-----

"Kuroko, are you sure you don't want to give it another try?" Kagami asked, shaking out the last of the snow stuck in his jacket before plopping down next to Kuroko, sitting with his arms around his knees.

Kuroko sighed, burying his face.

Kagami looked down at his boyfriend, offering a smile. "Well, I guess that's a no, huh." Kuroko still said nothing. The smile left as quickly as it had come. Kagami leaned back on his elbows, paying no mind to the snow soaking his sleeves. The two of them sat there for quite a while; even the sun began making its journey down.

"Ya know, it's rare that anybody gets it on the first try. You already know I couldn't." Kagami admonished. Kuroko turned to look at him.

"But it's all about practice and doing your best, isn't it? Giving it your all." Kagami tilted his head up towards the sky, clearly enjoying the sunlight that had finally reached their part of the mountain. "You just gotta keep trying and trying til you get it down."

It wasn't long before Kuroko raised an eyebrow, replying, "Actually, I'm not brooding about that. I'm just cold."

Kagami sat up in embarrassment. "Why you little—!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to delete some things back in Chapter 2, but I've fixed parts that seemed to repeat or not make sense, so it should be good now. Sorry about that.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's winter... weather (part 2?)

**Morning**

The sound of something ringing pierced the silence in the apartment. Wherever it was coming from came within hearing distance of the bedroom. Kagami groaned, rolling over onto his stomach. He grabbed the nearest pillow, covering his head to try and block out the incessant ringing.

He felt weight on the bed shift and a tug on his pillow follow. "Kagami."

Kagami ignored the tug, trying to get a few more minutes of sleep in before he was probably going to be pushed off the bed for being late to work or something. Except he'd just been given his long-awaited two week vacation yesterday and Kuroko's students had started their winter break a few days ago and there was no reason for an alarm to be going off.

The yanks eventually stopped, and Kagami felt a warm body press against his side. A weight pressed itself against his shoulder. "Kagami, you took my pillow."

He made a sound, but didn't move.

Hair brushed his underarm as Kuroko tried to wiggle his way under Kagami's arm. Kagami sneezed when strands of hair tickled his nose.

Lifting his arm, Kagami looked down at Kuroko who was laying on him. Cold toes brushed his bare back. A bare leg and arm was thrown over his figure, and the weight he had felt on his arm earlier had probably been Kuroko's head. Kagami tried to pat down Kuroko's bedhead that was especially atrocious this morning and shoo him away at the same time.

When neither went away—both were annoyingly persistent as always—Kagami dropped his head back onto the bed. "I didn't take your pillow. It might be on the floor or something. This one's mine," he finally answered, voice muffled by the cushion.

Apparently Kuroko could understand what he was saying through a mouth full of cotton. "It was on my side until you went off and took it."

The ringing almost seemed like it was getting louder by the minute. "You're the one who's on _my_ side, so this pillow's mine. I didn't take yours, alright?" Kagami argued, eyes shut, trying in vain to remember what it was he was dreaming about last in hopes of falling back asleep again.

"Yes, you did."

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did."

"No. I did not."

"Yes. You did." Whatever it was that was ringing was getting _really_ annoying.

"No."

"Yes."

Giving up, Kagami threw the pillow over his shoulder, hitting Kuroko right in the face. He took pleasure in the surprised grunt he heard come from behind him before Kuroko rolled off his back, finally letting him free. Unfortunately.

He sat up, swinging his legs off the side of the bed. A shiver ran through him when the soles of his bare feet came in contact with cold wood. Kagami rubbed his arms, regretting shedding his shirt the night before.

Looking around the room, his eyes drifted to the window. The sun was barely peeking through the curtains, meaning it was still early morning. A large white object on the floor caught his eyes. Kagami let out a frustrated sigh when he saw Kuroko's pillow not far off from the bed. He rubbed his eyes. He really should have a coffee.

But first, he had to find whatever was ringing at such an early hour. Reaching for his pajama bottoms he remembered leaving on the headboard of the bed, Kagami got up, slipping them on and leaving Kuroko in bed to follow the blaring sound of whatever it was going off. It couldn't be their alarm, since the sound led him out of the bedroom and into the kitchen.

Upon entering, the ringing stopped. Must be his phone.

It made a beeping sound when he found it atop a pile of papers on the kitchen counter, the screen lighting up, meaning someone had left a message. Flipping the device open, taking a moment to glance at the time reading 7:25, Kagami clicked the Recents button to find a new voicemail from a minute ago. Turns out it was from Tatsuya.

"Hey Taiga, it's me, Tatsuya. Kuroko wasn't answering his phone, so I tried calling you, but I guess you're not at your phone right now either."

 _Obviously._ Propping the phone up between his ear and shoulder, Kagami shuffled through the mess of papers, coming up with Kuroko's phone. Turning it on, he came across a few voicemail notifications from Tatsuya. So that's why the ringing was going on for so long.

"Anyways, I just wanted to remind Kuroko—and you, of course—that the reunion's been moved from the day after Christmas to New Years day. I'm still trying to get ahold of a few more people, so if you try calling me back, the line will probably be busy. Maybe just shoot me a text or somethi—"

Shuffling and a voice Kagami couldn't make out came from the background, bringing Tatsuya away from the phone for a little bit—the fact that the voicemail hadn't ended yet coming as a surprise to Kagami—before his voice rang clear through the phone once again.

"Ah, sorry Taiga, I have to go now. I just wanted to call you guys in case you don't get a memo from Kise or Aida later. Kise's especially ecstatic about being able to see everyone from high school again." Kagami heard him laugh. "Well, he's not the only one... Hm? Oh yeah, I'm just about to... Yeah, but—.. Alright, I'm going, I'm going. Okay, I gotta go, Taiga. See you on Christmas. Merry Christmas—!" The line cut off with someone hanging up. It probably wasn't Himuro that did so.

Shrugging, Kagami pulled the phone away from his ear, clicking out of the voicemail and into his inbox to check for any emails he'd missed the night before.

There was a message that was addressed to him yesterday from one of his co-workers wishing him a fun vacation, commenting about Kagami being "lucky that he was able to get time off this time of year" and being able to spend Christmas Eve at home while he himself was probably going to be spending his night shifts at the station "putting out last-minute ham and turkey dinners" until the day after. Kagami laughed.

All the other messages on his phone were from Riko announcing the date change via email and his former teammates responding to the group message. Eh, he could read those later.

Shutting off his phone, Kagami stretched before passing the coffee maker, finding the idea of going back to bed much more appealing than coffee. He walked by the couch in the living room, finding Nigou already awake, no doubt from all that ringing, tail wagging and tongue lolling as he raised a hand to give him a scratch behind the ears. With a wave of his hand, Nigou got up to follow his other owner.

Kagami made the chilly trek back to the bedroom, taking a quick pit stop at the bathroom so he wouldn't have to get up in an hour just to take a leak.

Finally returning to the bedroom, he found Nigou already curled up beside Kuroko, who had his face buried in the pillow, dozing. Kuroko had rolled to lay on his side, arms and legs thrown over the pillow, thankfully not drooling on his favorite shirt he had on. Huh, so that's where it'd went.

Tossing his phone onto the bedside table, Kagami crawled back into bed, mattress creaking under his weight as he made himself comfortable next to Kuroko.

Using his arm as a pillow since the only other pillow was sitting on the floor out of reach, he settled down with a sigh, pulling Kuroko closer by the waist. Kuroko stirred, blinking blue eyes open when he felt a warm body press against his back. Sleepily, he shifted closer, laying his head on Kagami's arm.

"You know you could just use that pillow in your hand." Kagami commented, burying his nose in Kuroko's hair.

"I don't feel like it." was Kuroko's reply.

"Whatever you say, Your Highness." he teased.

"Addressing a King or a Queen by 'Your Highness' is considered an insult. Using 'Your Majesty' is the only way people should address their King and/or Queen."

"Alright, thanks for the fact of the day, smartypants. Where'd you learn that from?"

"My students are quite serious when it comes to playing House or Castle."

Kagami chuckled into messy locks. "Of course they would be."

"Stop sniffing my hair," Kuroko complained, rolling over to face Kagami.

Seeing his frown, Kagami smiled, pressing a kiss to Kuroko's temple. "I can't help it. It smells good." He smelled like his shampoo. Kuroko always insisted on using Kagami's shampoo instead of his own, just like he insisted on using his shirts as pajamas and taking his pillows, now matter how many years he should be past that.

Kuroko looked at him sternly. "I'm trying to sleep here."

That earned him a flick on the forehead. "So was I, like 5 minutes ago, before you woke me up." Kagami retorted.

"Of course, so you can make breakfast while I sleep."

He raised an eyebrow. "What am I, your maid?"

"No, more like a housewife." The fact that he shook his head and looked serious about it sorta pissed him off.

"Says the one who takes care of kids for a living."

"At least I get paid to do it."

"Bastard." Kagami glared half-heartedly at Kuroko.

Kuroko smiled triumphantly, looking like he wanted to laugh, eyes bright, and caught Kagami's hand that was moving to ruffle his hair, lacing their fingers together. "I know." Kuroko agreed, hand squeezing his.

Kagami huffed, but squeezed back just as tightly. After a few minutes of laying there, Kuroko yawned. Seeing him yawn, Kagami pulled the pillow from Kuroko's grasp to lay under his head. Neither had forgotten Nigou, who didn't want to be left out, squeezing himself in between the two of them.

Kuroko scooted as close as he could to rest his head on the curve of Kagami's shoulder as Kagami brought the blanket up to cover them. They kept their hands interlocked between them as they lay under the thick blanket.

"You can sleep a little longer, Kuroko." Kagami said after they found a comfortable enough position with Nigou now in the mix, who was already burrowing under the sheets.

Kuroko didn't look like he was going to get up anytime soon, the blanket pulled up to his chin. "You can too, Kagami. You could tell me about what that ringing was later." he replied, eyes already sliding closed as he started to get drowsy from the warmth.

Kagami could feel it too, pulling at his eyelids, the idea of getting to wake up later this time around with a cup of coffee in hand sounding great. Kagami yawned, resting his cheek atop Kuroko's head, closing his eyes. "Sounds like a plan." They had all morning after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like to think that Kuroko loses his formal/polite way of speaking in the morning.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's finally the reunion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The long awaited and overdue chapter more like it ~~OFaS has been consuming me lately OTL~~
> 
> I'll make sure to try and get back into the groove of things

Kagami was convinced. All of his friends were against him.

He was hoping they'd have a fun night without too much messing around, but with everyone here from high school attending the reunion, it was wishful thinking.

The dread he remembered feeling, standing in front of the bathroom mirror earlier this afternoon fumbling with his tie, was only temporarily appeased when Kuroko walked in buttoning his own dress shirt up. Witnessing his struggle, and smiling at his distress, Kuroko had pulled him down to his height to loop the fabric around his neck snugly with the grace of a tailor and smoothed down the material of his suit covering his broad shoulders, already wrinkled slightly where the stitches met from his fidgeting.

Kuroko had laughed when he heard Kagami's worries. "Well, I'm sure it won't be anything life-threatening, Kagami-kun," was what Kuroko had settled on telling him. "Surely they've at least grown up a little." It's been five years since he had seen most of them, so they certainly must have. But Kuroko's dodge at using the word "mature" didn't sound like he was completely denying the possibility of at least _something_ happening.

The dread had come back full force, settling in his stomach when they arrived to the party fashionably late (and by fashionably, he meant them losing track of time and almost having to run to catch the ride Akashi had sent for them waiting in front of the complex) to see everybody already there waiting for them.

He was barely able to greet anyone or even take a look at the buffet table before he was pulled from Kuroko's side and thrown into the nearest group of people. No doubt the same had been done for Kuroko, looking back to see the spot where they had just been standing in empty.

The next thing he knew, he was released onto the dance floor, someone hanging off his arm. Familiar faces were grabbing their partners, reluctantly and not. Music started up, and the lights brightened, revealing the vast dance hall Kagami hadn't had the time to notice and really take in before he was turned to face the partner in front of him, who happened to be Momoi.

It had been a while since Kagami and the rest of their circle had seen Momoi. She hadn't changed all too much, with the exception of having the aura of any other busy woman in their early 20s. She looked even more mature than the high school girl he remembered seeing babysit Aomine and kick other team's asses on the side as Touou's manager. Her hair was up and she looked rather elegant in her blue dress, which he'd tripped over quite a few times in the few minutes he had to dance with her.

He apologized every time he did, but she waved it off each time, mentioning something about how "Dai-chan fell on his face twice earlier before you two got here," which had made him feel at least a little proud of himself.

There wasn't much talk after, the first song ending in a flash. Kagami had barely gotten in a bow to Momoi before she rose from her half-bow and politely ran as fast as her heels could take her, to Kuroko who was offering his own bow to a smiling Riko. Their old coach must've been his first dance. Lucky.

Kagami heard a surprised sound halfway across the room be forced from Kuroko as he was tackled by his teenage admirer, before he was dragged from the scene by Alex. The next song started up over Alex's excited chatter blaring in his ear, and the cycle started again.

Scratch that. All of _Kuroko's_ friends were against him. Even his own mentor and brother. He wasn't going to pretend that these idiots he considered his friends hadn't planned this from the start.

All he wanted was _one_ dance with Kuroko, damn it. Was that too much to ask?

Apparently so.

Kagami was pulled from his dreadful reminiscing when the sweaty hand holding his yanked him forward so he was uncomfortably flush with the body in front of him. He and his partner narrowly dodged another pair dancing past. Kagami was only able to gape at the smile on Kise's face, and the watered-down version of his own expression on Kuroko's face before his partner turned, blocking the dancing duo from his view.

He turned to his newest cohort, glaring. "Do you mind?"

A sneer made itself known on Aomine's face. Neither had stopped growing until a year or two after high shcool, but they had somehow ended up around the same height as each other. It didn't help that Aomine's face was annoyingly close to his. "Of course I mind. But I'd never pass up a chance to mess with you two." Aomine chuckled, but it was cut off by a curse when Kagami purposely stomped on his foot.

"Alright, I get it. You seem to have reigned everyone in on the little game, huh." Kagami said sarcastically.

"Actually, that was all Kise's doing."

Kagami sighed, "Of course it was."

It was _really_ scary once he got shoved towards Furihata. The guy was an even worse dancer than Kagami was, but he was pretty sure the reason for Furihata's stuttering and tripping came in the form of his partner, who did nothing to hide his watchful eye on the nervous pair from where he was waltzing with Kuroko.

Kagami could hear Kuroko's friends laughing from the sidelines. 

When they were finally able to return home, initially collapsing on the bed from exhaustion, Kagami didn't even bother to look up when a weight was lifted off the sheets. He was, however, surprised when his old stereo started playing.

Lifting his head, he saw Kuroko with his finger on the play button. Kagami would've laughed, had he taken time to do so during his haste to take Kuroko's hands in his own. He could have laughed off the whole night, but instead, he twirled around their bedroom, with Kuroko in his arms, to some random love song playing on the radio. So long as he could finally dance with Kuroko, the long night was worth it. Maybe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trash, look at that sudden ending and short chapter lol. This chapter has seen better days (like months ago), but I have lost all drive to really care


	6. Extra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's a cute chapter to end off the story~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not posting anything recently, I've been busy with school and college apps. ~~Ahhh this is crap I'm sorry~~
> 
> God I am so thirsty for Kagami wearing arm sleeves help
> 
> Kuroko and Kagami are beginning their third year in college. Momoi, Midorima, and Akashi are attending universities that're located further away from Tokyo, so they don't come around unless it's holidays or vacation. Aomine, Kise, and Murasakibara are going to colleges in and/or near Tokyo, so they visit each other regularly. Around this time, Kagami still has his apartment, but since their college doesn't allow dogs in their dorms, and it's quite a ways from his apartment, a few of their friends are taking care of Nigou while they're away. Also, none of their teammates have names cuz I'm lazy sorry

_Monday_

Sifting through the small pile of folded clothes in his locker, Kuroko drew away, brows furrowed. He could've sworn he had left in here the day before. Unless...

He looked to his right at the person occupying the next locker over. "Kagami-kun, can I borrow one of your towels? I think I left mine in your room yesterday."

Kagami, who had been in the middle of searching through his own locker, poked his head out from inside it. "Sure." He reached in and pulled out a towel, tossing it to Kuroko. "Here."

"Thank you." Kuroko leaned forward and began toweling his hair dry, having just been in the showers a few minutes before. 

Practice had just ended. This was the last session before their third and final pre-season scrimmage against another school in a few days. Luckily, that gave them enough time to catch up with classwork until then.

Kuroko found his eyes trailing back to Kagami. He had just finished showering as well, wearing a pair of sweatpants that stuck close to his damp skin. Strands of red hair dripped water down the nape of his neck, running trails down into the towel thrown over his shoulders. It's been quite a few weeks since he last got a haircut. That wasn't a problem though. Kuroko liked running his fingers through those long bangs. 

He must've felt eyes on him, and looked back to find Kuroko staring. "What?"

Kuroko didn't feel like looking away just yet. "Nothing."

Kagami raised an eyebrow at that. "You know you're staring, right?" Lifting a hand, he played with the wet strands before running through them with the towel, making the long hairs spike up. 

"I do." Kuroko confirmed. He was probably going to get yelled at for doing so. 

Kagami frowned at him. "Then stop and get changed already!" Yup. 

Kuroko looked away and continued changing, a smile teasing his lips. "There's no need to get all defensive. It's nothing I haven't seen before." 

"You—" Kagami stopped himself before he could say anymore, face reddening. With a sigh of defeat, he slipped on his shirt, grumbling. "Forget it." 

A few minutes later, Kuroko asked, once neatly placing the last article of dirty clothing into his bag, "Also, after this, would you like to come with me to the library? I have some books to return."

Clipping the old metal chain around his neck once again, Kagami nodded. "Sure. I have some books to drop off too, but I left them in my dorm. We could stop by on the way there so I can go grab them." He took out his jacket and shrugged it on before picking his gym bag up off the floor. 

"That sounds like a good idea." Looking up, Kuroko stopped Kagami before he could slam his locker door closed. "Please don't forget your key in your locker again like last time." 

Kagami paused. Reluctantly, he opened it again, pulling out a lanyard with a key attached to the end of it. "That was once!" He said after closing it shut. 

Shouldering his bag, Kuroko replied, "You did it twice last week and just yesterday."

"I did not!" 

"You did."

And the cycle soon started up again, as it did every day. Their teammates groaned in the background as they exited the locker rooms, still bickering. 

\-----

_Tuesday_

Tuesdays weren't so bad; for Kuroko, at least. Kagami was a different story. 

Today he had English Literature and Composition and Mathematics. Kagami had two more classes after this. Kuroko usually accompanied him there on his way to the library. Tuesdays were probably the worst day for Kagami, considering that he was always running late to practice on these days. His classes always seemed to run longer than expected. 

Kuroko sent Kagami a look of pity on their way to class that morning, keeping the small flare of amusement from showing on his face when Kagami knocked his head against the doorframe, missing the actual entryway by a good two feet. 

It didn't help that they had a game tomorrow either. Knowing him, he must've not gotten enough sleep the night before. 

Kuroko took his seat behind Kagami, the professor entering the room not moments after the bell rang, loudly declaring that he was not late, as he did every morning. Pulling out his notebook, Kuroko sat back in his chair, preparing for the unnecessarily long lecture they were in for today. 

The margin of his paper became increasingly crowded with doodles as class went on, and Kuroko soon found it odd that he could actually see the board without leaning to one side or sitting up. Usually there was a mass of red hair blocking the way. 

Pausing in his "note taking", he set his pencil down. Reaching forward, the chair he was sitting in creaking as he leaned farther than normal, he tapped Kagami on the shoulder. "Kagami-kun." 

He received no answer. 

Kuroko tried again, tapping him a few more times for good measure. "Kagami-kun." 

It wasn't like he was talking quietly or anything. He was speaking at the same voice level as he normally did. Honestly, he was surprised that no one around him appeared to be hearing him either. That's what a 7 am class did to people, he supposed. 

It appeared that Kagami was out cold, having fallen asleep slouched in his chair, head propped up on one hand. 

As much as Kuroko commended Kagami's attempt to catch up with sleep, they had an exam in two days on the book the professor was currently droning on and on about, and the possibility of being kept after class for falling asleep after class would only place Kagami even further behind in his already tight schedule. 

Sighing, Kuroko picked up his Literature textbook. It was a thick volume, probably the largest in his possession. Lifting it high, he let it drop, slamming it against the wood with loud, echoing smack. 

The sound was echoed by Kagami's head connecting with the desk with a muffled thud. Several heads turned towards him. He jerked up in his seat, startled awake. Luckily, the professor decided only then to look in their direction.

He drew the stick of chalk away from the board, "Kagami, is there something wrong?"

"N-No, I'm fine!" Came Kagami's hurried reply. Kuroko saw him casually run a hand over his face to get off the drool if there was any. 

"If you say so." He returned to his lecture, the screeching of chalk—and his voice—resuming to fill the air. 

Once his back was turned once again, Kagami shot Kuroko a look of gratitude. Kuroko tilted his head in acknowledgment.

Unfortunately, sleep was not worth staying late after class. 

It wasn't long before Kuroko had to flick his worn-down eraser at Kagami's head, cracking a smile when it connected with the back of his cranium and caused Kagami to wake up again, this time earning him a glare. 

It was, however, worth Kuroko's time if it meant he could tease the redhead. Just a little. 

\-----

_Wednesday_

The blare of the buzzer signaled the end of the quarter, calling Kagami and the rest of the team back to the bench in preparation for the fourth quarter. Second-stringers came to their aid, handing out towels and water bottles. 

It was Kagami that took a seat beside him. Accepting a bottle from one of the reserved members, he wiped the sweat from his face with his arm band, offering the water to Kuroko first, who politely declined. He'd just finished his second quarter on the court, but here he was, more than happy to give his water to Kuroko, who'd been benched the whole time. Honestly, sometimes his generosity bordered illogicality. 

"... and Kuroko, you'll all be up for this last quarter." Kuroko raised his head at the sound of his name. He was no starter for the team, but it was rare for a regular that wasn't the captain to be playing the last ten minutes of a scrimmage.

Well, there was no arguing with the Coach. He nodded his head, earning a hum of approval from the group at the decision. Ignoring the grin that refused to leave Kagami's face, he stood up with the rest of the starters, pulling off his shirt. 

As they huddled around in a circle, one of the benchwarmers, a second year if he remembered correctly, after one look at Kagami and Kuroko, smiled. "It seems like we're going to be getting another free round of drinks tonight. Mark that down on your tab, Coach." That sparked a chorus of laughter from the veteran players, including the coach himself. The new members looked at them in confusion. Oh right, he hadn't played on the court outside of practice at all this year. 

"I don't know why you guys insist on making bets on our wins. It's still pre-season." He replied, prompting the continuing members of the team to roll their eyes at his statement, reminding him that it was _he_ that came up with the idea in the first place. 

Soon the teasing became too loud for everyone's ears, and he shushed them. "Alright, I get it! Get drunk for all I care tonight, I'm not paying for any other drinks after. Just no first years allowed." Kuroko could hear the disappointment in their voices when he said that. "Now settle down and listen to Kagami already." 

Once the complaining died down, all eyes were drawn back to Kagami. "You guys ready?" He grinned, putting his hand out in the center of the circle. Kuroko and the others followed suit, placing their hands over his. "Alright. Tokyo, fight!" 

"Fight!" 

The ref's whistle broke up the circle, calling the two teams out for the final time this evening. 

The rest of the team threw jabs at each other as they entered the court once again, unconcerned now about the six point lead the other team had over them. Kuroko received a few slaps on the back and ruffled hair along the way, the yells of encouragement making him look back at the people he'd fought alongside with for the past two years. It certainly wasn't Seirin he was fighting for anymore, but that didn't mean he would fight any less harder for this team. 

Amidst the adjusting of his wristbands, Kuroko felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked up to meet Kagami's eyes. "You ready?" He was asked, even though there was no need to ask a question they both already knew the answer to. 

"As ready as I'll ever be, Captain." Kuroko raised his hand, and met Kagami's fist with his own. 

"Then let's kick some ass." 

~ 

The light on his phone flashed in the darkness, signaling a call. Blinking away the sleep clouding his eyes, Kuroko flipped it open, squinting at the name flashing on the bright screen. _Kagami_. 

He recalled Kagami mentioning something about going out with the team after the game ended. Kuroko had decided to take the train back with the coaches and their manager instead. Coming back late would mean last minute cramming, and Kuroko rather enjoyed getting enough sleep to make it through seven hours worth of classes the next day, so he'd turned down Kagami's invitation and spent the night studying before heading to bed.

Rolling over onto his stomach, he pressed the call button and placed the phone by his ear. "Hello?"

 _"Kuroko?"_ Kagami's voice rang clear through the speakers. 

Just the sound of his voice alone would've brought a smile to Kuroko's face... "Do you know what time it is right now, Kagami-kun?" He asked. 

Kagami paused before answering. _"It's two in the morning."_ ... Had he not been woken up so late. Or early. Whatever you'd call this time of the night. 

Kuroko stifled a yawn, switching the phone to the other hand and letting his head rest back down on his pillow. "Are you not back at your room yet?" Oh well, there was no use to point it out now. 

_"Not yet. We just got back. I'm on my way."_ The rustle of material was apparent on the other line. _"So, how'd the studying go?"_

"The studying went well." Amusement laced Kuroko's words.

 _"That's good to hear. You'll need to give me a recap of the chapter before class."_ The echo of rubber against metal must mean he was climbing up a flight of stairs. Funny, Kagami's dorm was on the first floor. His was on the third. 

"You should sound more thankful that I'm going to help you at all."

 _"You know I am. I'll pay you back when we go out tomorrow, okay?"_ The absence of silence was filled with another round of stair climbing. Huh... _"Anyways, did you make it back alright?"_

"Yes, I did. The coaches made sure we got to campus before they even thought of letting me off the bus... and, Kagami-kun?"

 _"Yeah?"_ Kagami's voice became muffled by static for a brief moment. 

Kuroko sat up. "Are you just trying to keep the conversation going because you're actually heading up to my room right now?"

At that exact moment, he heard a knock on his door. 

Over the phone, and from the other side of the door, Kagami hesitated. _"... Maybe."_

Kuroko sighed into the phone. Climbing out of bed, he made the short trip from his small mattress to the entrance of his dorm. Turning the lock and unhooking the chain, he did the same with the knob and swung the door open. There stood Kagami in his basketball sweats and shirt with the fading logo of their college stamped on the chest, fiddling with the strap of his shoulder bag and smiling sheepishly. 

He was still very predictable. 

Kuroko hung up the call. "Good evening."

"Technically it's very early morning." Kagami pulled the phone from his ear and leaned down to plant a soft kiss on his lips. "Sorry, did I wake you?" He asked quietly. 

Any other time, Kuroko would've smiled and leaned up to connect their lips again. Except it was six hours until their Lit exam, and he'd only gotten two hours of sleep so far. 

Kuroko kept him close with a firm hold on the front of his shirt so he couldn't pull away. "Yes, you did." Kuroko answered, unamused. Kagami grunted as he found himself stuck bending down to keep eye contact with Kuroko. "I hope you don't make this a habit, Kagami-kun." 

He laughed nervously, raising his hands in surrender. "I won't, I won't!" 

Deeming him forgiven, Kuroko relinquished his hold on his shirt, watching as Kagami stood back up to full height, hand on his back. "Anyways, since you took the time to come here, would you like to come inside?" Kuroko asked. 

That was all it took for a smile to appear on Kagami's smile as he stepped through the doorway Kuroko made way for him to pass through, dropping his bag by his discarded shoes and taking Kuroko's hand along the way before he could do any more than shut the door. 

It was already a habit, but every time Kuroko thought about it, he found that he didn't mind it so much.

\-----

_Thursday_

The Maji Burger a few blocks away from their school was busy today. Usually they wouldn't travel so far when there were a dozen different eateries on campus, but they made sure to go at least every once in a while. It reminded them of the old high school days. 

Kuroko rested his cheek on the cold surface of the booth table. He closed his eyes and released a long, deep breath, uncaring of the tiny voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like Midorima's scolding him of how unsanitary it was to press his face against a public table. Three hours of testing really drained a person. 

His hand ached from gripping his pencil so tightly, and his brain felt like someone had removed it from his body, shot a few hoops with it, and tossed it back in without a care. 

Kuroko was pulled from his thoughts when something heavy was placed on the table. Looking up, he noticed Kagami with his usual tray of hamburgers, a couple set aside for him, holding a milkshake. 

Smiling gratefully, he sat up, accepting the cold drink. "Thank you, Kagami-kun." 

"Don't mention it." Taking the seat opposite him, they ate in silence, gradually recovering in the aftermath of the exam. 

\-----

_Friday_

His alarm went off at 6 o'clock sharp. Buried far under his blankets, Kuroko opened one eye, peeking his head out from under the sheets to glance at his clock. For some reason, it was cold even beneath the sheets. 

He only had a moment to read the digital numbers before a large hand fell upon the snooze button, shutting off the entire thing. He felt his bed shift and warm arms wrap around his waist again, bringing back the warmth that was missing. 

"Ten more minutes," Kagami mumbled, laying his head back down on the pillow above Kuroko's head. 

Kuroko silently agreed, rolling over so he could bury his face in Kagami's clothed chest. 

It was a good thing they had no school today. 

\-----

_Saturday_

Saturdays were reserved especially for outings with friends. 

For once, Aomine and Kise arrived early to the park when Kuroko came up to the gated entrance an hour prior to the meeting time. 

Both of them had settled on their majors surprisingly early into their second year of college. Aomine had decided on criminal justice, and Kise was trying his hand at aviation. They were quite ironic careers for the two young adults to pursue, considering Aomine was the last person Kuroko can see pulling someone over for driving over the speed limit when he himself was often caught driving ten miles faster than everybody else, and Kise often traveled around Tokyo for his modeling job. His interest of the fashion world was dying down, but it appeared that he still wanted to go out and see the world, just from a higher perspective. 

As if on cue, their heads turned at the sound of the metal gate creaking open. 

"Kurokocchi!" Kuroko was immediately greeted with the sound of Kise's voice, who immediately stood up, smiling as he came over to greet him. 

"I'm surprised that Aominecchi and I got here before you! You're usually the earliest." He laughed, taking Kuroko lightly by the arm. "Come on, let's go sit."

Kuroko let himself be steered, smiling. "I'm surprised too, but I'm glad that you two were able to make it." The free time they had for spending time together dwindled as the years passed, from three times a week to once or twice every few weeks on Saturdays. School and work were already piling up, and it was only two months into the semester. 

Kise grinned back, probably thinking the same thing. "Me too." 

Their steps fell in sync as they began the short walk to the benches. Kise went on. "Murasakibaracchi has Saturday classes for the next few weeks for some special program he signed up for, so he won't be able to make it today or next Saturday." 

Kuroko hummed, feeling a bit disappointed. "That's too bad."

Aomine, who was sitting at one of the park benches, overheard their conversation as they neared and waved a greeting when he spotted Kuroko. "Hey Tetsu. Speaking of missing people, where's Kagami?" He asked. 

Kuroko pulled out his phone, finding that there were no missed calls or texts. "He usually comes a little later since Coach keeps him up working late at night to help make regimes for the new members. I'll call him." He pressed the 2 button for speed dial, watching as Kagami's name and picture lit up the screen. 

Kagami picked up on the third ring. A yawn scratched the speakers, and a garbled mumble of _"Hello?"_ met Kuroko's ears.

"Kagami-kun?" Kuroko asked. He must've just woken up. 

He heard the ruffling of sheets, and a thump as Kagami fell back onto his bed. Kuroko could just picture him rubbing his eyes and trying vainly to open as his eyes as he answered gruffly, _"Mmn... Yeah?"_

"Do you know what today is?" 

Kagami paused for a second, most likely trying to remember where he was and what day it was right now. _"It's... a Saturday, right? What 'bout it?"_

"We're supposed to be meeting Aomine-kun and Kise-kun today." Kuroko informed him. 

_"Isn't that later? I'll get ready in a little bit.."_ His second sentence came out muffled, as he was probably burying his face into his pillow, sounding like he was ready to fall asleep at any moment. 

"Kagami-kun, it's already 10 o'clock. We were supposed to meet them two hours ago." Kuroko said flatly. 

He pulled the phone from his ear and waited a few seconds before Kagami's voice blared through the speakers. _"What!?"_

Crashes and muffled curses could be heard before the line disconnected moments later. 

Kuroko exited the call. Snapping his phone shut, he looked to Aomine and Kise, who were on the verge of laughing. "There. He should be here in a few minutes." The dam broke, and he was met with laughter that could no longer be held in. It echoed through the empty park, bouncing with joy in the cold morning air.

"Oh my god." Aomine buried his face in his hands, shoulders shaking.

"Still as cruel as ever I see, Kurokocchi." Kise chuckled, wiping a tear from his eye. Kuroko just smiled, taking a seat in between the two of them so he could wait for Kagami to arrive. 

Too bad Kagami was in so much of a rush to run over here that he didn't take a second to look at his clock and see it reading 6:54 in bright red numbers.

\-----

_Sunday_

Kuroko woke to the smell of food. 

His roommate had left last year, leaving a two room dorm to himself. The school didn't enforce having roommates quite as strictly towards the third and fourth years as they did other students since it was so large of a school. And since he had no roommate, he could only think of one person that could have entered his apartment, and owns the only spare key. 

Red hair appeared in his vision. Kuroko squinted and blinked a few times, eyes focusing on the steadily clearing figure. "Hello."

Warm hands brushed the messy bangs from his forehead, and Kagami suddenly looked much clearer with the hair out of his eyes. Kuroko was answered with a chuckle. "Hello to you too." Crouching at his bedside, Kagami beamed, much too brightly for someone who wasn't much of a morning person. "I brought breakfast."

In any other case, breakfast would've been cooked by Kagami himself, but since they were college students working towards becoming aspiring members of society living in dorms with microwaves as their kitchen, breakfast meant takeout. 

Kuroko sat up, tucking his legs in to allow room for Kagami to sit. Settling himself at the foot of his bed, Kagami opened the plastic bag, pulling several boxes of food. Kuroko took one of the smaller boxes, still warm to the touch. 

He was met with the aroma of freshly toasted bread and hot soup upon popping off the cover, and carefully set the container on the blankets before reaching for his chopsticks.

Halfway into his meal, and around the time Kagami had finished his, Kuroko leaned back, brushing shoulders with Kagami, who'd moved to sit against the headboard beside him. "What do you want to do today?" He asked, laying his head on Kagami's shoulder. 

A large hand slipped into his, twining their fingers together, warm as always. "Hmm... Whatever you want to do." Kagami hummed, lifting up their joined hands. Kuroko's eyes flickered to them, noticing for probably the millionth time, the difference in sizes of their palms. Uncurling his fingers, he pressed them to Kagami's, studying the sheer contrast in their color of skin. 

"How about a lazy day?" Kuroko suggested, still looking at their hands. He entwined them together once again, turning it to look at the point where their fingers wove together, the shades clashing. Their food must be cold by now from sitting for so long. 

Kuroko felt a tug on his arm, and looked up to see Kagami bring their hands up and brush his lips against the back of his hand. He could feel the tickling sensation of Kagami's breath against his skin as he laughed quietly at Kuroko's half-hearted response. 

His homework still lay half-finished at his study desk, and he couldn't remember the last time he had tidied up his makeshift workplace. Practice was going to get harder now that the season was starting up next week. Not to mention that they have yet to visit Nigou at all this week. 

"Sounds like a plan," Kagami answered once he let their hands fall back onto the bed. They could worry about life later. There wasn't a single thing Kuroko could think of that he'd rather be doing. 

Well, seeing Nigou later wasn't a bad idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Side Note: I can't believe it's been almost a whole year since I first starting posting here!! I hope I can continue writing and make it to next year as well~


End file.
